Raw vs. Cooked -
Which Contains More Vitamins and Minerals?
Let’s finally put an end to the debate of raw vs. cooked.
Of course, in the grand scheme of a well-balanced,
nutrient-dense, varied, whole foods diet, the cooked vs. raw debate isn't that
critical for most people.
Where this can become a consideration is for vitamin and
mineral deficiencies (or "insufficiencies"). These may be due to
digestion or absorption issues, or avoidance of certain foods (due to
allergies, intolerances, or choice).
And I'll tell you that the answer isn't as simple as
"raw is always better" or "cooked is always better." As with most nutrition science, it depends on
several factors. Some vitamins are destroyed in cooking, while others become
easier to absorb (a.k.a. more "bioavailable").
Here is the skinny on vitamins and minerals in raw foods
versus cooked foods.
Foods to eat raw
As a general rule, water soluble nutrients, like vitamin C
and the B vitamins, found mostly in fruits and vegetables, are best eaten raw.
The reason why is two-fold.
First, when these nutrients are heated, they tend to
degrade; this is from any heat, be it
steaming, boiling, roasting, or frying. Vitamin C and the B vitamins are a bit
more "delicate" and susceptible to heat than many other nutrients.
Of course, the obvious way to combat these nutrient losses
is to eat foods high in vitamin C and B vitamins in their raw form (like in an
awesome salad) or to cook them for as short a time as possible (like quickly
steaming or blanching).
Fun fact: Raw spinach can contain three times the amount of
vitamin C as cooked spinach.
The second reason why foods high in vitamin C and the B
vitamins are best eaten raw is that they're "water soluble." So, guess where the vitamins go when they're
cooked in water? Yes, they're dissolved
right into the water; this is
particularly true for fruits and veggies that are boiled and poached but even
for foods that are steamed as well.
Of course, if you’re a savvy health nut, you’ll probably
keep that liquid to use in your next soup or sauce to preserve those nutrients
that are left after cooking. Just don’t overheat it or you may lose what you
were aiming to keep.
But, how much loss are we talking about? Well, of course, it ranges but can go from as
low as 15%, up to over 50%.
In short, the water soluble vitamins like vitamin C and the
B vitamins degrade with heat and some of what's left over after they're heated
dissolves into the cooking water. So be sure to cook your fruits and veggies as
little as possible, and keep that cooking water to use in your next recipe.
Soaking nuts and seeds
Regarding raw nuts and seeds, it may be beneficial to
soak them. Soaking nuts and seeds (for several hours at room temperature)
allows some of the minerals to become "unlocked" from their chemical
structure, so they're more absorbable.
Foods to eat cooked
Cooking certain orange and red “beta-carotene rich” veggies
(e.g. tomatoes, carrots, & sweet potatoes) can help make this pre-vitamin A
compound more absorbable.
Fun fact: One study found that absorption of beta-carotene
was 6.5 times greater in stir-fried carrots than in raw carrots!
Of course, eating your fat-soluble vitamins with a bit of
fat will help you to absorb more of them, so that’s one factor to consider.
One vegetable that’s best eaten both raw and cooked
Spinach!
And I’m not just saying this to get everyone to eat it any
way possible (although, I would love for this to happen...unless you’re
allergic, of course).
Spinach contains so many beneficial compounds that it's
great eaten both raw and cooked.
Eating raw spinach preserves the water-soluble vitamins C
& the B vitamins.
Eating spinach cooked allows the pre-vitamin A, as well as
some of the minerals like iron to be better absorbed. Not to mention how much
spinach reduces in size when it’s cooked, so it’s easier to eat way more cooked
spinach than raw spinach.
Conclusion:
The old nutrition philosophy of making sure you get a lot of
nutrient-dense whole foods into your diet holds true. Feel free to mix up how you eat them, whether you
prefer raw or cooked just make sure you eat them.
Recipe (cooked spinach): Sauteed Spinach
Serves 4
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 bag baby spinach leaves
1 dash salt
1 dash black pepper
Fresh lemon
1. In a large cast iron pan heat olive oil.
2. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
3. Add spinach, salt, pepper and toss with garlic and
oil.
4. Cover pan and cook on low for about 2 minutes.
5. Saute cook spinach for another minute, stirring frequently,
until all the spinach is wilted.
6. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top.
Serve & enjoy!
Tip: Enjoying the cooked spinach
with the vitamin C in the “raw” lemon juice helps your body absorb more of the
iron.
Dedicated To Your Success,
John Heary, CFT, SFN, PFTS, MMACC, CUSC, CCFT
Certified Fitness Trainer
Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition
Certified Physique and Figure Trainer Specialist
Certified Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning Coach
Certified Underground Strength Coach
Certified Fitranx Instructor
Certified TRX Instructor
Certified Corporate Fitness Trainer
Certified Spartan SGX Coach
Certified Weightlifting Performance Coach
(716) 545-4090
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